SEVEN YEAR OLD EXPANDS MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE TO CHINESE INSTRUMENTS

 

 

When seven year-old Christopher Conger visited the University of Alabama Birmingham's Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center in April, he came away with more than expected.

Ms. Liu Fang honored her guests with beautiful performances of Chinese classical music on a "pipa", as well as a "zither", while Fang's husband shared a very interesting story of Chinese instruments and music.

Christopher came away with a deeper appreciation for Chinese music and instruments.

When asked about his visit, Christopher said, "I like the way their music represented things in nature and life. Not only did the Chinese artists want to be technically proficient at their instrument, but they wanted to convey a message or image with their music."

Christopher's mother, Maria Conger, was astonished Christopher picked up on this and hopes this will deepen his own musical endeavors. "Up until now, he has mainly played for entertainment. We are very grateful to Mr. Davis and everyone at the Alabama Asian Cultures Foundation for providing this East meets West learning opportunity."

 

 

Liu Fang with Christopher Conger